Florida Vacation Part 1

The Coffman family ventured to Florida under the excuse of seeing a shuttle launch. It turned out to be a fun time with family to relax and explore.

We got in late on Friday and the next day (around the end of nap time) we started to hear jet planes fly overhead. We learned that right down the street an airshow was going on. We ventured onto the crowded beach to watch it.

Our little sand flea

Crazy airplanes. Ryan pointed to a lot of them, but then he focused on his sand digging.

It was hot on the beach during the day and very crowded because of the air show, so we went to the beach later that night. Ryan was hesitant to step in the water and got really upset when his dad would walk toward it and away from us. Jesse was trying to catch sand fleas.

This is the only one he caught.

The next day after a church and a nap we met my aunt Lesia and cousin Jamie.
I was just going to the car to find my water bottle, but instead we got a photo shoot and wonderful people to accompany us to the beach. (Many of the following photos where taken by my Aunt, who is an amazing photographer)

At the Luna Sea Motel (yep Luna Sea)

Hey mom, look at this.

Maybe it goes in here?

Airshow day two.

This time there was a cruise ship watching the show. Most of the cruise liners launch from Cocoa Beach and you can see them when you get above the trees.

This airplane is going really really slowly. It looked as though it was hopping in the air.

Pre- Halloween Activities

My amazing visiting teacher called me one morning and told me that a bunch of people were going to the pumpkin patch. I'm so glad I went. Thanks Sarah for the invitation!

First, we saw the petting zoo animals. Ryan was staring intently at the lady while she explained the rules of the petting zoo. He must have looked very attentive because she stopped talking and commented on it.

We saw some pigs who will soon be going to the freezer (whisper that) ...

Turkey. Ryan liked it until it puffed up its wings and started walking toward Ryan.

Goat. Not our first experience with one of these.

Pony. Ryan really liked the pony and the pony liked him too.

And of course there were play-sets and a giant pile of sand. Lots of animals to see and he picked the sand pile? I guess it did have a really cool bucket.

On the hay ride. I'm not going to lie, it made me a little queasy. Probably should have looked forward more.

Everyone on the hay ride.

The hay ride drops everyone off at the entrance to a corn maze. It the middle of the very small corn maze there is a clearing.

And a scarecrow friend that Ryan introduced himself to.

Two paths diverged in a corn field...

Mom, I want this one!

Ok, I'll settle for this one.

Or may this one

No, it's this one.

Hurry take the picture, this pumpkin is sooooo heavy!

I hope that visits to pumpkin patches become a tradition in our family. It is such a fun experience and it is even better to share it with your friends.

Here is one of our Halloween traditions. Cookies

This year I made colored sugar. This was our FHE activity. Before the closing prayer Ryan walked over to where the cookie container was sitting on the counter. He tried to reach it, but is much too short. He then started crying and hanging on the counter. Then he walked over to where the step stool lives and tried to pull it out to climb on. After FHE he did get some small cookies.

Jesse enjoys being "non-traditional" in his cookie decorating. Witches become cats, moons become smiles, ghosts become witches and skulls become aliens.

Jesse at his "desk". This really has nothing to do with Halloween.

There was a ghost spotting in our house...

He would run into the bathroom, throw the blanket over his head and come running out.

Ryan's costume. He doesn't like the fringe touching him. The shirt makes him cry when you first put it on him.

Can't let the scarecrow get too dry.

More to come on what we actually did on Halloween.

Another exciting day on the playground

As I was playing with Ryan on the playground I found something. It was kind of gross so I decided to take Ryan back to the other playground where it was "safer". Then I thought about going inside without telling anyone about it. I think maybe this can be considered a cultural misunderstanding...


That indeed is a small child behind the sausage. And yes it is indeed hanging from the play-set. Jesse made the comment of "Why would you put it there? It won't be in one piece when you come back. Unless an act of God intervenes." Not to mention it is slightly unsanitary. Someone did end up moving it to the fence. And then the play-set got sprayed with Lysol. Oh the joys of cultural differences ;) Maybe we can get his recipe?

Murder...

I woke up this morning and found this poor helpless fellow lying on the ground.

Notice the puncture wounds made by a small finger. And the possible bite missing.

And then we found the crime scene.

I thought he was a little quiet this morning. The fan is under our table and he can reach much farther up onto the table then I remember.

Could this hoodlum be responsible?

Perhaps

I often go walking

Jesse and I always manage to see some pretty interesting things on our walks. Perhaps this is Heavenly Father's way of encouraging us to continue?

The real reason for the walk. I wanted a picture of this sign. It is on the road leading into our complex. Can anyone spot the grammatical/spelling error?

Then we saw a deer...

Nope, make that 5 deer

Plus one stag

Wait dad!!

Cute boys walking side by side

These are the random woods by our house. The trees are in oddly straight rows. Anyone know why?

This is a new addition to the woods. It is spray painted onto the sidewalk.

Then we found crickets

If you enlarge this picture you will see that a person is walking their Great Dane using a golf cart. Strange...

(Jesse) Now if you pull out your 3D glasses for this one, you will see... oh, wait. Still 2D. This was a sample of toad leather we found on the trail. Yum!(end Jesse)

Sticks!

And then there was this. Well really we saw it first, but it was fun to save the pictures until last.

What is this? Anyone know?

Not a raccoon or a vole or a shrew... wrong climate for a mountain beaver. Ondatra zibethicus perhaps? If so why is it 10 people-walking minutes from the lakes? And why is it sitting in the tree in the middle of the day, eating leaves? We may have seen one of these earlier this summer on one of the walks around the pond at my in-laws.

Mom, what is that?

Here is a picture of its foot if that helps identify it.

This is a picture from a walk today. It is a squirrel eating a mushroom.